Our selection of meat and poultry is renowned for great taste and superior quality. We believe this has a lot to do with the care that goes into raising the animals and the true partnerships we develop with the farmers and ranchers that supply our stores.

When you visit our meat counters, you get quality meats that meet our strict animal welfare standards. This dedication to animal welfare at farms and ranches and the level of transparency in our stores help you make informed choices about the meat you eat.

One of the most iconic features of pigs is their curly tails. In fact, they even wag their tails when they are happy or excited. What you may not realize is there aren’t many pigs running around with tails these days.

Sadly, the majority of today’s pigs have their tails removed when they are just a few days to a few weeks old. Farmers call this tail docking or clipping. The reason? Tail biting. Some pigs repeatedly chew and bite the tails of other pigs, which can lead to painful injuries. The reasons for this tail-biting behavior are complex and there are many contributing factors, but it’s commonly found in pigs housed indoors where stocking densities are high and the pens are barren.

The more you know about our meat, the better. That’s just the bottom line around here. Our standards require no added hormones* and no antibiotics, ever. Our true partnerships with farmers and ranchers allow us to offer the highest quality, local and organic choices. And with leading animal welfare standards we’re encouraging a human approach to raising animals.

By partnering with dedicated family-owned farms and producers, we make sure our hams are the best for your holiday table. Meet these producers and learn how our hams are from pigs raised to meet our high standards.

When you buy beef, what are you concerned about? Take our poll on meat standards and see how your thoughts stack up with others. It’s often easy to forget that the burger, steak or drumstick on your plate was once an animal. How was that animal raised? How was it treated? Where did it come from? What did it eat? What about hormones and antibiotics? Was its growth artificially accelerated to get to market sooner and reduce feed cost?

About the Blog

Welcome to Whole Story, the official blog of Whole Foods Market.

As the world’s leading natural and organic grocer we’re all about healthy food and a healthy planet, and we've got bunches of passionate people in our community doing incredible things. Join in the conversation!